Guru Investment Theses on Advance Auto Parts Inc

Sequoia Fund Comments on Advance Auto Parts - Mar 07, 2014

We sold a large portion of our holding in Advance Auto Parts shortly after the company announced a deal to buy General Parts International, parent of Carquest stores, in the fall. The stock price understandably soared on the news as Advance bought GPI on favorable terms and should be able to harvest significant synergies out of the deal, thus accelerating its earnings growth. However, we’d been concerned about poor execution in legacy Advance stores for some time and felt it prudent to reduce our holding as the stock price soared. If the company integrates GPI well and improves performance in its own stores, our sale may turn out to be a mistake.

Top Ranked Articles about Advance Auto Parts Inc

Sequoia benefited greatly from two transformative acquisitions announced in 2013: Valeant’s purchase of Bausch & Lomb and Advance Auto Parts’ purchase of General Parts International. Both deals were game changers which will significantly increase these two companies’ earnings beginning in 2014. While we’ve long been partial to companies that can grow organically, Sequoia’s returns have been boosted considerably by companies that may have limited organic growth opportunities but have done smart serial acquisitions, such as Valeant Pharmaceuticals and Berkshire Hathaway. Precision Castparts has been another serial acquirer that has created great value for shareholders. Read more...

We sold a large portion of our holding in Advance Auto Parts shortly after the company announced a deal to buy General Parts International, parent of Carquest stores, in the fall. The stock price understandably soared on the news as Advance bought GPI on favorable terms and should be able to harvest significant synergies out of the deal, thus accelerating its earnings growth. However, we’d been concerned about poor execution in legacy Advance stores for some time and felt it prudent to reduce our holding as the stock price soared. If the company integrates GPI well and improves performance in its own stores, our sale may turn out to be a mistake. Read more...

Business Description

Advance Auto Parts Inc founded in 1929 as Advance Stores Company, Incorporated and operated as a retailer of general merchandise until the 1980s. The Company is a specialty retailer of automotive aftermarket parts, accessories, batteries and maintenance items primarily operating within the United States. Its stores carry an extensive product line for cars, vans, sport utility vehicles and light trucks. The Company operated in two reportable segments: Advance Auto Parts, or AAP, and Autopart International, or AI. The AAP segment is comprised of its store operations, which operate under the trade names "Advance Auto Parts" and "Advance Discount Auto Parts". The AI segment consists solely of the operations of Autopart International, Inc. which operates under the "Autopart International" trade name. It operated 3,832 AAP stores throughout 39 states in the Northeastern, Southeastern and Midwestern (inclusive of South Central) regions of the United States, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. These stores operated under the "Advance Auto Parts" trade name except for certain stores in the state of Florida, which operated under the "Advance Discount Auto Parts" trade name. These stores offer a broad selection of brand name and private label automotive replacement parts, accessories, batteries and maintenance items for domestic and imported cars and light trucks. The primary categories of products they offer in its stores include: Parts, including alternators, batteries, belts and hoses, brakes and brake pads, chassis parts, clutches, driveshafts, engines and engine parts, ignition parts, lighting, radiators, starters, spark plugs and wires, steering and alignment parts, transmissions, water pumps and windshield wiper blades; Accessories, including air fresheners, anti-theft devices, emergency road kits, floor mats, ice scrapers, mirrors, vent shades, MP3 and cell phone accessories, and seat and steering wheel covers; Chemicals, including antifreeze, brake and power steering fluid, freon, fuel additives, windshield washer fluid and car washes and waxes; Oil, transmission fluid and other automotive petroleum products; and Other miscellaneous offerings, including certain eServices. AI's business primarily serves the Commercial market, with an emphasis on parts for imported cars, from its store locations located primarily throughout the Northeastern, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States. In addition, its North American Sales Division serves warehouse distributors and jobbers throughout North America. primary competitors are (i) both national and regional retail chains of automotive parts stores, including AutoZone, Inc., O'Reilly Automotive, Inc. and The Pep Boys-Manny, Moe & Jack. The Company is subject to various federal, state and local laws and governmental regulations relating to the operation of its business, including those governing collection, transportation and recycling of automotive lead-acid batteries, used

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